Reply #35: This straw man [View All]

[ModerateMiddle]

gets raised again and again, and people point out the fallacy of the argument, and yet, we see it again and again ....

A points out that X and Y do/did the same thing.

X screams "How dare you compare me with Y?!?!"

One way of explaining how awful you feel some particular action was is to compare it to something awful that the other person will understand - hence comparisons to "Bush-lite", comparisons to Gingrich, comparisons with anti-abortion fundies.

Saying that the thing that A did reminded them of the thing that they "hated group Y" did is not saying they are the same. It is saying that particular tactic really rubbed them wrong, and they disliked it, or stronger, but it's not saying they are the same.

The folks that erect the straw man don't address the original point - that the tactic was obnoxious. They attack the person for making the comparison.

Now, ready to be set up for comparing so-and-so to Bush - this is exactly how Bush and his minions address controversies - erect straw men (you are against THIS version of the Homeland Security Bill? It's because you don't care about the security of our homeland!!), divert and deny.

I believe that while very distasteful sometimes, all differences on policy are fair game. And I believe that to be credible, each candidate must address the charges that are made in one way or another. To pretend that Dems can't do that to one another is very much denying that it is going to happen to ANYONE by a MUCH larger degree in the general election against that 170-200 million.